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In a boost to the state’s economy, UTC Fire & Security will solidify and expand its presence in Florida by locating the headquarters for its Global Security Products, Global Fire Products and Fire & Security Services groups in the state, and by establishing a new fire research and test center here.

“UTC’s decision to strengthen its presence in our state is a vote of confidence in Florida’s ability to help the company achieve long-term business goals,” said Governor Crist. “Our support of such efforts is vital to ensuring continuous economic growth and diversification.”

When UTC Fire & Security acquired GE Security earlier this year, it took ownership of facilities in Palm Beach and Manatee counties. After reaching agreement with state and local officials, the company committed to retaining approximately 338 jobs in Florida, creating 45 new positions, relocating certain headquarters operations to Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County, and developing a multi-million-dollar Fire Innovation and Test Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The agreement secures hundreds of well-paying Florida jobs, many in the managerial and technical fields, and sets the stage for future employment growth. Plans for a new research and test center will build the tax base and increase construction employment.

UTC Fire & Security President William Brown commented that the consolidation of these businesses in Florida allows the company to make best use of existing facilities while serving its growing global customer base. “The incentive from the state of Florida has allowed us to maximize our state-of-the-art training facilities, product research laboratories, customer demonstration areas and available office space,” he said.

“The location of UTC Fire & Security’s Global Fire Products and Global Security Products world headquarters in Manatee County will retain 227 well-paying jobs and add 23 new jobs,” said Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker. “By judiciously applying local performance-based incentives to this project, the Manatee Board of County Commissioners continues to demonstrate its commitment to working with the Manatee Economic Development Council and the State of Florida in supporting the growth of good jobs in our community.”

The new fire test center will allow UTC Fire & Security to test its broad range of fire product innovations, as well as host live demonstrations for customers in real-world situations.

Groundbreaking on the new facility will take place in late 2010.

“UTC Fire & Security is an extremely important corporate partner and employer in Palm Beach County,” added Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board. “With the unwavering support of the Board of County Commissioners and the City of Boca Raton, we were happy to assist them in their desire to maintain the presence of their Fire and Security division here. We are also very excited about the establishment of the Fire Innovation and Test Center and look forward to a continued partnership with UTC.”

UTC Fire & Security provides fire safety and security solutions to more than 1 million customers worldwide. Headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide.

Topics: 2010, Boca Raton, business, economic development, economic growth, economic recovery, Economy, employment, fire, Florida, Global Fire Products, Global Security Products, Governor Charlie Crist, jobs, Manatee County, moniter, monitor, news, NYSE: UTX, Palm Beach, research, Security Services, test center, United Technologies Corp., UTC Fire & Security, West Palm Beach

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On Day 100 of the BP Gulf oil spill the Deepwater Horizon (MC252) well has been successfully shut in and no oil has been flowing into the Gulf since July 15.

Active monitoring continues during the integrity test and there has been no evidence the well does not have integrity. BP could attempt the Static Kill procedure as early Sunday. View the Florida Gator Interactive Oil Spill Map.

The DDIII rig has released and retrieved to surface the storm packer and it is preparing to run in the hole with drill pipe. Pressure continues to slowly increase and is approximately 6937 psi. Yesterday it was 6928 psi.

Approximately 640 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled:  100 miles in Florida, 362 miles in Louisiana, 108 miles in Mississippi and 70 miles in Alabama.

About 1.84 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied: 1.07 million on the surface and 771,000 subsea. More than 34.7 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.

As of July 28, although sporadic sightings of tar balls may continue, Florida’s shoreline is not expected to receive additional impacts over the next 72 hours. Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current.  Nearly 90 percent of Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline remains unimpacted.

Current impacts from the Deepwater Horizon incident on beaches in Escambia County, including Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key and the Gulf Islands National Seashore, are extremely minimal and consist largely of reports of widely scattered tar balls. Clean up crews are staged to immediately respond to any reports.

All gulf beaches in Escambia County remain under an Oil Impact Notice that will stay in effect until beaches are no longer impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.

The following is a summary of state and BP response actions to date, as well as tips for residents and visitors to take precautions both pre and post-landfall.

Map of BP Oil Spill as of July 28, 2010. Click on images for larger picture.

This forecast is based on the NWS spot forecast from Tuesday, July 27 PM. Currents were obtained from several models (NOAA Gulf of Mexico, West Florida Shelf/USF, TGLO/TAMU, NAVO/NRL) and HFR measurements. The model was initialized from Tuesday satellite imagery analysis (NOAA/NESDIS) and overflight observations. The leading edge may contain tarballs that are not readily observable from the imagery (hence not included in the model initialization). Oil near bay inlets could be brought into that bay by local tidal currents.

Winds are forecast to be SE at 5-10 kts tonight, then become offshore (NE/NW) by Wednesday afternoon. NW winds at 5-15 kts are forecast to continue through Saturday. Satellite imagery indicates the surface oil is continuing to break up into smaller scattered patches. Observations from overflights indicate these patches are predominantly light sheens with little recoverable oil being observed. Moderate onshore winds overnight may bring some remaining oil ashore, however, potential shoreline impacts will begin to be reduced by the offshore winds and natural dispersion of remaining floating oil. The MS/AL barrier islands, the Chandeleur Islands, Breton Sound, the Mississippi Delta and shorelines west to Pt. Au Fer continue to be threatened by scattered tarball impacts within this forecast period.

Message of the day: Florida Gulf Recovery Jobs

The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation and its workforce system partners, Workforce Florida and the state’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards, continue to connect Florida’s job seekers with employment opportunities via Governor Crist’s Florida Gulf Recovery Jobs website.

Since Governor Crist announced the website, more than 14,600 positions related to response and recovery efforts have been posted and more than 44,600 people have registered and applied for these and other positions.

The average wage for positions filled to date is nearly $20/hour.

For questions about oil spill-related work opportunities, please call 1-877-362-5034 or see Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.floridajobs.org/oilspill/Oilspill_faqs.htm.

Current Situation:

The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1 or full activation.

The State continues to focus on mitigating impacts to Florida’s shoreline.

Currently Deepwater Horizon is not discharging any oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

All supplemental Tier 3 boom is being removed in the Northwest Florida counties.

State reconnaissance teams operating by air, land and sea continue to identify potential impacts and are actively coordinating with cleanup teams. View the latest reconnaissance reports.

Four Florida branch offices are fully operational in Northwest Florida. These branch offices bring together federal, state and local agencies to streamline response efforts.

No tropical activity is expected in the next 48 hours.

Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.

A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.

Landfall Reports and Predictions:

Five state-leased skimmers continue to operate in Northwest Florida to protect sensitive inland water bodies. These skimmers are operating at the passes in Escambia, Okaloosa, Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties.

If oil is sighted on Florida’s coastline report it to the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335) or by dialing #DEP from most cell phones.

Pensacola Pass as well as Perdido Pass will continue to be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil entering inland waters. These waterways are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.

Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current. The Loop Current Ring, a circular current which was formerly part of the Loop Current provides no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits.

There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon oil spill-related products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.

Health Effects:

Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.

If residents or visitors see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil will not cause any harm, however it is not recommended. Learn more.

Fisheries & Seafood:

The current federal fisheries closure in the Gulf of Mexico measures 83,927 square miles. This leaves approximately 65 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. This federal closure does not apply to any state waters. Learn more.

A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.

To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401. For the safety of the public as well as the safety of animals, rescues should only be conducted by trained responders. Learn more.

Visit http://bpdecon.com for a list of vessel decontamination locations for oiled boats within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector.

Tips for Homeowners:

While the state appreciates the concern expressed by Floridians and the ingenuity of those seeking alternative measures to help protect the state’s shoreline, the following tips are offered to ensure that these measures are helpful and not harmful to Florida’s coasts, wildlife and water resources: Tips for homeowners.

Tips for Businesses and Consumers:

The Attorney General’s fraud hotline is open to receive any reports of fraud or price gouging. The hotline is 1-866-966-7226.

The Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gouging hotline is also operational. The toll-free hotline number is 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).

Coastal businesses should make loss of earnings claims for damages incurred as a result of the oil spill. Learn more at http://www.myfloridacfo.com/ or by calling 1-850-413-3089 or toll-free at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

To discuss spill related damage with BP representatives, please call the BP Claims Reporting Line at 1-800-440-0858.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Individuals interested in volunteering can register at www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

Volunteers will not be in direct contact with oil or oil-contaminated materials.

The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service – Volunteer Florida is encouraging Floridians and visitors to stay current on the latest information on scheduled beach cleanups and other local volunteer opportunities.

Learn More About Florida’s Response:

Visit www.deepwaterhorizonflorida.com to learn more about Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, sign up for daily updates, view tips for businesses and consumers, and much more.

For a list of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm#numbers.

The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Additional phone numbers have also been established for persons with disabilities: (800) 955-8771 (TDD) or (800) 955-8770 (voice).

Topics: 2010, beaches, BP, British Petroleum, business, coastline, Deepwater Horizon, Economy, emergency response, environment, environmental impact, Escambia County, Fishery Failure Determination, fishing, Florida, Florida seafood products, GOHSEP, Governance, government, Governor Charlie Crist, Gulf of Mexico, gulf oil map, July 28, landfall predictions, loans, Mexico Beach, moniter, monitor, news, noaa oil spill, Obama Administration, oil loop current, Oil Rig, oil spill, oil spill forecast, oil spill map, Okaloosa County, Panama City Beach, Panhandle, Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Pass, pollution, President Obama, tourism, Transocean, U.S., United States, VISIT FLORIDA marketing campaign, Walton County, White House, www.visitflorida.com

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